Table of Contents
In this interview, four proven voices sit down to talk real trading: Adam Scarr (prop-funded after a decade-long grind), Scruffy Trader (London stage speaker and veteran day trader), Gerald Tsu (now managing roughly six figures for friends and family), and Kaci Jackson (prop trader and mentor focused on practical execution). Recorded for traders who want the unvarnished path—not the hype—you’ll hear how each guest built consistency, what derailed them, and the routines that keep them in the game.
You’ll learn the nuts and bolts: Adam’s move from failed challenges to funded status through strict risk and time-limit choices; Scruffy’s “respect the account” mantra, routine over randomness, and daily/weekly risk brakes; Gerald’s two-strategy, two-pair simplicity for running outside capital without losing your edge; and Kaci’s killer insight on stepping away—after hot streaks and drawdowns—to protect discipline. Expect practical execution tips on journaling, scaling in (without a martingale), wider ATR-aware stops, multi-time-frame alignment, accountability partners, and the psychology of switching off P&L so the process can lead.
Adam Scarr Playbook & Strategy: How He Actually Trades
Why this playbook matters
Adam Scarr’s edge comes from turning a clear process into repeatable execution. Below you’ll find how he structures the day, filters setups, sizes risk, and manages trades so the account grows without drama. Use these rules to cut noise, protect your downside, and give your winners room to work.
- Define your trading session in advance (e.g., London, New York) and trade only that window.
- Pre-select 2–3 instruments you know best; ignore everything else that day.
- Write tomorrow’s “if-then” plan the night before; trade the plan, not the vibe.
- Treat each decision (scan → setup → risk → execution → review) as a checklist you must tick in order.
Market selection & bias (top-down first, then precise)
Adam frames the market from higher timeframes before he ever thinks about entries. This keeps him aligned with the broader flow and prevents random trades against structure. The goal is simple: trade with the path of least resistance.
- Start daily with the HTF map: mark last session’s high/low, weekly high/low, and key swing levels.
- Note trend state on H4/H1 (higher highs/lows or lower highs/lows); only take trades in that direction unless a clear reversal structure forms.
- Identify “areas of interest” (prior break/flip zones, session highs/lows, VWAP/ADR extremes) and set alerts there.
- No bias = no trade. If HTF isn’t clear, stand down until it is.
Set up filter (two A-setups, mechanical criteria)
He keeps it tight—two bread-and-butter patterns with objective criteria. Fewer patterns mean better execution and easier review.
- Define exactly two A-setups (e.g., trend pullback to prior structure; breakout-retest after session range expansion).
- Require confluence: HTF bias + key level + session timing (open/close or scheduled news passed) + momentum trigger (e.g., break of micro-structure or candle close beyond level).
- Ban “almost”: if any one ingredient is missing, pass.
- Maximum two attempts per level/idea per session; if both fail, the idea is invalid for today.
Risk rules (account survival first, returns second)
Adam’s consistency comes from non-negotiable risk controls. These caps stop bad days early and keep the equity curve smooth.
- Fixed fractional risk per trade (e.g., 0.25%–0.5%); never widen mid-trade.
- Daily stop: hard cap at ~1R to 2R of risk; once hit, close the platform.
- Max trades per day (e.g., 3) and max losses (e.g., 1–2). If hit, you’re done.
- Weekly loss cap (e.g., 3–4R). Hit it? Flat for the week; review before returning.
- No adding to losers, ever. Adds only occur on validated continuation with risk still contained.
Entry & stop placement (structure, not hope)
Entries are placed where the market must prove you wrong quickly. Stops live behind structure, not arbitrary pips.
- Place stops beyond the invalidation structure (e.g., beyond swing high/low or consolidation boundary), not “X pips.”
- Size position from the stop distance so the monetary risk is constant.
- If spread/volatility widens (news, session open), either skip or use reduced size; never keep size and widen stops.
- If price tags your level but fails to trigger confirmation, cancel the order—no FOMO market clicks.
Trade management (let the math carry you)
Adam focuses on clean, asymmetric outcomes. He wants small, known losses and scalable winners—managed by rules, not feelings.
- First scale-out or stop-to-breakeven only after a clear milestone (e.g., 1R achieved or prior swing taken).
- Trail behind structure, not fixed ticks: move stop only when new structure forms in your favor.
- If the target is at the HTF level, don’t get cute—partial off into the level, then let a runner try to extend.
- No P&L watching during the trade. Decisions are chart-based, on candle close or level break, per your plan.
Scaling in (controlled staging, never martingale)
Adding size is allowed only when the idea is working or the plan anticipates staggered entries within the same thesis. It’s about engineering a better average price without exploding risk.
- Pre-plan up to 2–3 staged entries with total risk still equal to 1R (e.g., 40% + 40% + 20%).
- Each add requires new confirmation (e.g., fresh higher low in trend, breakout retest that holds).
- If the invalidation is hit, exit the whole position—no exceptions.
- Never add to a trade simply to “fix” a poor first entry.
News & session timing (avoid avoidable randomness)
Most avoidable damage comes from trading right into scheduled news or the whippy minutes around session opens. Time filters reduce that noise.
- No fresh entries within ±10 minutes of high-impact news on your instrument; reassess after volatility settles.
- Favor session open drives and the first clean pullback after expansion; avoid late-session chop.
- If the day’s ADR/ATR is already exhausted in your bias direction, demand exceptional structure to continue—or stand down.
Journal like a pro (turn data into rules)
The journal is how Adam upgrades rules. Winners are nice, but the red days teach you what to fix. Make the feedback loop tight.
- Log every trade the same day: screenshot pre-/post-trade, note setup, confluence, risk, emotions, adherence score (0–100).
- Tag reasons for loss (e.g., counter-trend, news proximity, late entry, broke max-loss rule) and review weekly to spot patterns.
- Promote or demote setups quarterly based on stats: keep only the ones with positive expectancy in current conditions.
- Write a one-page “Next-Week Tweaks” every Friday: one thing to stop, one to start, one to continue.
Prop-account specifics (pass, then keep it)
Prop rules can trick traders into over-pushing. Adam’s approach is to remove time pressure and let the edge play out.
- Prefer challenges with no/soft time limits; if there’s a limit, reduce size and increase selectivity to protect drawdown.
- Track firm-specific drawdown math (static vs. trailing) and anchor your daily stop beneath those thresholds.
- Withdraw on schedule once consistent; keep a buffer in the account to avoid forced deactivation by small dips.
- If you hit any personal or firm cap (daily/weekly), you’re done for that period—review and return fresh.
Daily routine (repeatability beats brilliance)
Consistency happens when your day looks the same. The routine removes decision fatigue and keeps execution crisp.
- Pre-market (30–45 min): mark levels, write if-then plans, set alerts, decide “A-setup or nothing.”
- During market: wait for alerts, validate Confluence, execute; no chart-surfing outside your plan.
- Post-market (15–20 min): journal screenshots, score discipline, update stats, and close the platform.
- One rest day per week from live risk; review and backtest instead of forcing trades.
Scruffy Trader Playbook & Strategy: How He Actually Trades
Why this playbook matters
Scruffy Trader is known for keeping the craft simple, disciplined, and repeatable. This playbook shows how he structures his day, chooses markets, times entries, and controls risk so the account gets respected and the edge can play out.
- Decide your trading identity first: intraday trend follower with occasional range plays.
- Cap your daily screen time to a defined session to prevent overtrading.
- Build a written routine you can repeat every day without willpower.
Market focus & instruments
He limits his universe so decisions are fast and consistent. Fewer markets mean better read on structure, volatility, and session rhythm.
- Pick 2–3 instruments you actually understand (e.g., a main FX pair, one index future, one commodity).
- Track each instrument’s typical ADR/ATR so you know what “normal” movement looks like.
- Avoid adding new markets during a drawdown; simplify until consistency returns.
Session planning & pre-market map
Every day starts with a clean map and a calm plan. The goal is to define key levels and likely paths so execution later feels obvious.
- Mark the prior day’s high/low, weekly high/low, and any clear break/flip zones.
- Note session timing (London/NY opens, lunch lull) and set alerts at your levels.
- Write an if–then plan: “If price rejects X with momentum, I look long to Y; if it closes below X, I wait for retest short to Z.”
Set up criteria (two A-setups, nothing else)
Scruffy’s edge is structure + timing—not guessing tops and bottoms. Keep a tiny menu of patterns so you can grade them objectively.
- Define exactly two A-setups (e.g., trend pullback to prior structure; range breakout–retest).
- Require confluence: HTF bias + level + session timing + a clean trigger candle/structure break.
- If any one ingredient is missing, pass. No “almost” trades.
- Maximum two tries per idea per session.
Risk controls you actually follow.w
Account respect comes from hard, boring limits. The aim is to make a bad day small and a normal day survivable.
- Fixed fractional risk per trade (0.25%–0.5% of equity).
- Daily stop at 1–2R; once hit, platform off for the day.
- Max trades per day (e.g., 3) and max consecutive losses (e.g., 2).
- Weekly loss cap (e.g., 3–4R). Hit it, stand down, and review.
Entry & stop placement
Stops live behind structure, not arbitrary pip counts. This keeps losers small and teaches you to pick meaningful levels.
- Enter only at your pre-marked level after confirmation (close beyond level or micro-structure break).
- Place stops beyond invalidation (above swing for shorts, below swing for longs).
- Position size from stop distance so monetary risk stays constant.
- If spread/volatility spikes, reduce size or skip; never widen a stop after entry.
Trade management & exits
Winners are managed by rules, not vibes. Protect the downside early, then let structure trail you into asymmetric outcomes.
- First management event at ~1R or first objective structure target; consider partial and move stop to breakeven only if structure justifies it.
- Trail behind the new swing structure, not fixed ticks.
- If the price reaches a higher-timeframe level, scale out and let a small runner work.
- No P&L watching mid-trade; decisions occur on candle close or level break.
Scaling in (only when it’s working)
Add size only when the trade thesis is proving itself. This improves the average price without ballooning risk.
- Pre-plan up to 2 staged adds; total risk across all adds still equals 1R.
- Each add must follow a fresh confirmation (e.g., higher low in trend, retest that holds).
- If invalidation is hit, exit the entire position immediately.
- Never add to a loser to “repair” it.
News & session timing
Avoid avoidable randomness. Scheduled events and session opens can distort the normal structure.
- No fresh entries within ±10 minutes of high-impact news for your instrument.
- Favor session open drives and the first clean pullback after expansion.
- If ADR/ATR is already spent in your direction, demand exceptional structure or stand down.
The “respect the account” checklist
Discipline is a habit, not a mood. This small checklist keeps your behavior aligned with the plan.
- Before entry: “Is bias aligned? Is the level valid? Is the risk sized? Is timing okay?”
- During trade: “Have rules for moving stop been met? Any reason to interfere?”
- After exit: “Did I follow the plan? Was the setup truly A-grade?”
- Break the rules? Reduce the size next session and journal why.
Journal & review that actually improves results.
Your journal turns experience into rules. Keep it simple, consistent, and brutally honest.
- Log each trade the same day with screenshots before/after and a discipline score (0–100).
- Tag recurring errors (counter-trend, late entries, news proximity, revenge trades).
- Weekly: export stats by setup; demote what’s underperforming for the current market regime.
- Write three Friday tweaks: one to stop, one to start, one to continue.
Prop/funded-account adaptations
Firm rules change risk math and psychology. Build your plan around those constraints so you don’t sabotage a good edge.
- Choose challenges with time rules you can realistically meet; if time-limited, trade less, not more.
- Anchor daily stop beneath firm limits (daily/trailing drawdown) with a safety buffer.
- Withdraw on a schedule once consistent; keep buffer equity to avoid accidental breaches.
- After any rule breach or near-miss, pause live trading and rehearse the fix in sim.
Tools & workspace
Keep the desk calm and functional so you can execute without drama. Less clutter equals fewer impulses.
- One chart per instrument with HTF/LTF tabs; no indicator zoo—levels, structure, ATR, and a clean trigger view.
- Pre-set alerts at your levels so you aren’t glued to the screen.
- Use a physical checklist next to the keyboard; no click until all boxes are ticked.
- End of day: archive charts, reset alerts, close the platform.
Gerald Tsu Playbook & Strategy: How He Actually Trades
What makes Gerald’s approach work
Gerald Tsu keeps his playbook lean: a small market list, two core setups, and strict risk math. This section shows how he creates structure so decisions are faster and mistakes are rarer.
- Trade a tiny universe (two FX pairs or one FX pair + one index future) you can track intimately.
- Predefine your daily session window and do not trade outside it.
- Run the same checklist every day: map → bias → levels → plan → execute → review.
Market universe & bias
He starts from the higher timeframes to avoid fighting the larger flow. Your bias is earned from structure, not opinion.
- On D1/H4/H1, mark trend state (HH/HL for up, LH/LL for down) and last clear break/flip zones.
- Note weekly and prior-day high/low; treat them as magnets or barriers for intraday plans.
- Only trade in HTF direction unless you have a complete reversal structure (double bottom/top + neck break + retest).
Two core setups (keep it boring, keep it repeatable)
Gerald focuses on two A-setups he can grade mechanically. Fewer patterns = cleaner stats and more confidence.
- Setup 1 – Trend Pullback: enter on a clean retest of a broken level or VWAP/structure zone with momentum confirmation.
- Setup 2 – Breakout–Retest: wait for a session-range break, then buy/sell the first retest that holds.
- Require confluence: HTF bias + level + session timing + trigger candle/structure break.
- If any ingredient is missing, pass. Maximum two attempts per idea per session.
Risk model (outside capital friendly)
With friends-and-family capital, defense comes first. The risk model caps drawdowns and keeps emotions tame.
- Fixed fractional risk per trade (0.25%–0.5% of equity); never increase risk to “make it back.”
- Daily stop: 1–2R; once hit, flat for the day.
- Weekly stop: 3–4R; hit it and pause live trading until a written review is complete.
- No adding to losers, ever; adds are allowed only on validated continuation and within the same 1R risk budget.
Entry & stop placement (structure over guesswork)
Your stop belongs behind invalidation, not a random pip count. This makes losers honest and winners scalable.
- Enter at your level only after a trigger (close beyond level or micro-structure break).
- Place stops beyond the structure that invalidates the idea (above swing for shorts, below swing for longs).
- Size position from stop distance so the dollar risk stays constant.
- If spreads explode or volatility jumps, cut size or skip the trade—do not widen your stop post-entry.
Trade management & exits
He manages trades by structure and milestones, not impulses. This keeps the R-multiple distribution healthy.
- First management at ~1R or first objective target (prior swing/level); consider partial + stop to breakeven only if structure supports it.
- Trail behind the new swing structure as the market makes it, not by fixed ticks.
- If the HTF level is near, pre-plan partials into that level and keep a small runner for extension.
- No P&L watching mid-trade; act on candle close or level break per plan.
Session timing & news filters
Timing protects you from avoidable randomness. A few rules around sessions and news can save an account.
- No new positions within ±10 minutes of high-impact news for your instrument.
- Favor the opening drive and the first clean pullback; avoid late-session chop.
- If ADR/ATR is already spent in your direction, demand exceptional structure—or stand down.
Scaling in (only when the thesis is working)
Adds are for momentum continuation, not rescue. Plan them so total risk stays contained.
- Predefine up to two staged ads; total risk across all entries remains capped at 1R.
- Each add requires fresh confirmation (higher low in trend for longs, lower high for shorts).
- If invalidation is hit, close the entire position immediately.
Multi-account / capital stewardship
Managing outside capital changes your job: smoother equity beats flashy returns. Build rules that protect trust.
- Set a monthly max drawdown (e.g., 6–8R). If reached, suspend payouts and switch to sim while you debrief.
- Withdraw profits on a schedule (e.g., monthly) and maintain a buffer in the trading account to avoid forced deactivation by volatility.
- Keep live risk lower after new deposits or fresh highs for one week to normalize psychology.
- Report a simple KPI pack: win rate, avg R, expectancy, max DD, and adherence score.
A routine that makes discipline easy
Your day should look the same, so execution is automatic. Consistency beats intensity.
- Pre-market (30–45 min): mark levels, write if-then plans, set alerts, choose A-setup or no trade.
- In-session: wait for alerts, validate Confluence, execute; no chart surfing outside your list.
- Post-market (15–20 min): journal with screenshots, score discipline (0–100), tag errors, and plan one small tweak for tomorrow.
Journal to upgrade rules
The journal is your factory for better rules. Keep it objective and simple so you actually use it.
- Record every trade the same day with setup tag, confluences, pre/post screenshots, and reason codes.
- Weekly: aggregate by setup and session; demote patterns that underperform in the current regime.
- Write three commitments each Friday: one to stop, one to start, one to continue—then post them at your desk.
Tools & workspace (friction-free execution)
A clean workflow reduces impulsive clicks. Build a chart layout that shows only what drives your decisions.
- One HTF pane (D1/H4/H1) and one LTF pane (M15/M5); keep indicators minimal (levels, ATR/ADR, and a clean trigger view).
- Pre-set alerts in your areas of interest so you aren’t glued to the screen.
- Use a printed checklist; no order gets placed until every box is ticked.
- Close the platform after the post-market routine—discipline ends the day on purpose.
Kaci Jackson Playbook & Strategy: How She Actually Trades
Why this playbook matters
Kaci Jackson’s edge is quiet consistency—tight routines, a tiny setup menu, and rules that survive any market mood. This guide breaks down how she frames bias, times entries, controls risk, and reviews performance so profitability is a byproduct of discipline, not luck.
- Decide your trading identity first: intraday trend follower with selective range plays.
- Define a single session window and stick to it to prevent overtrading.
- Use a written checklist so execution is the same on good days and bad.
Market universe & bias
She keeps a short instrument list so pattern recognition stays sharp. Bias comes from higher-timeframe structure—never from opinions or headlines.
- Focus on 2–3 instruments you read well (e.g., one FX pair, one index, one commodity).
- On D1/H4/H1, mark trend state (HH/HL uptrend, LH/LL downtrend) and the last clear break/flip zones.
- Only trade with HTF bias unless you have a complete reversal structure (double top/bottom → neckline break → retest).
Two core setup archetypes
Kaci runs a minimalist playbook—two A-setups with mechanical criteria. Fewer patterns mean fewer forced trades and cleaner stats.
- Setup 1 – Trend Pullback: enter at prior structure/VWAP zone after momentum confirmation.
- Setup 2 – Breakout–Retest: trade the first retest that holds after a session range break.
- Require confluence: HTF bias + key level + session timing + a clean trigger (close beyond level or micro-structure break).
- Max two attempts per idea per session; if both fail, the idea is invalid for the day.
Risk framework that survives bad days
Her first objective is account survival. Caps on risk and trade count make losing days small and emotionally manageable.
- Fixed fractional risk per trade (0.25%–0.5% of equity).
- Daily loss cap at 1–2R; platform off once hit.
- Weekly loss cap at 3–4R; if hit, pause live trading and review before returning.
- No adding to losers—ever. Adds are allowed only on validated continuation and within the same 1R budget.
Entry precision & stop placement
Entries sit where the market must prove her right quickly, and stops live beyond real invalidation—not random pip counts.
- Place stops behind structure (above last LH for shorts, below last HL for longs).
- Size the position from the stop distance so the dollar risk remains constant.
- Enter only after confirmation (close beyond level or break/retest of micro-structure).
- If spreads or volatility spike, reduce size or skip—never widen the stop post-entry.
Trade management & exits
She manages winners with structure, not feelings. The plan tells her when to protect, when to scale, and when to stand aside.
- First management at ~1R or first objective target; move to breakeven only if structure supports it.
- Trail behind the new swing structure, not fixed ticks.
- Scale out into higher-timeframe levels and keep a small runner for extension.
- Make decisions on candle close or level break; avoid mid-candle tinkering.
Scaling in (only when it’s working)
Adds are pre-planned and earned by price action. The total risk never exceeds the initial 1R.
- Predefine up to two staged adds (e.g., 40% + 40% + 20%); total risk across all entries still equals 1R.
- Each add requires fresh confirmation (higher low forming for longs, lower high for shorts).
- If invalidation is hit, close the entire position immediately.
Session timing & news filters
Avoidable randomness ruins edges. A few timing rules keep you out of the chop and into the meat of the move.
- No new positions within ±10 minutes of high-impact news for your instrument.
- Favor session open drives and the first clean pullback after expansion.
- If ADR/ATR is already spent in your direction, demand exceptional structure—or stand down.
Psychology & performance cues
Kaci treats mindset like a system: pre-defined behaviors that keep emotions from steering the wheel. The aim is to protect discipline under stress.
- Hide P&L during the session; act on chart signals, not dollar swings.
- Use a two-minute reset routine after any loss (breathing + checklist review) before considering another trade.
- Reduce size by half after two consecutive losses; return to normal only after one clean A-setup win.
- If you break a rule, stop trading for the day and document the trigger.
Prop/funded-account adaptations
Firm rules change the math. She adjusts position sizing and daily stops so firm thresholds are never at risk from normal variance.
- Anchor daily stop beneath firm limits (daily/trailing drawdown) with a safety buffer.
- Prefer firms with no or soft time limits; if time-limited, trade fewer, higher-quality setups at a smaller size.
- Withdraw on a schedule and keep a buffer in the account to avoid accidental breaches.
- After any near-breach, switch to sim for one session and rehearse corrections.
Journal that actually improves edge
Her journal is short, visual, and brutally honest. It turns experience into rules you can trust.
- Log every trade same day with pre/post screenshots, setup tag, confluence checklist, and discipline score (0–100).
- Tag reasons for loss (late entry, counter-trend, news proximity, broke rules) and aggregate weekly.
- Promote/demote setups quarterly based on expectancy in the current regime.
- End each week with three commitments: stop, start, continue.
Daily routine (repeatability beats brilliance)
Consistency comes from days that look the same. The routine reduces decision fatigue and keeps execution crisp.
- Pre-market (30–45 min): mark HTF levels, write if–then plans, set alerts, predefine A-setup or no trade.
- In-session: wait for alerts, validate Confluence, execute; no chart surfing outside your list.
- Post-market (15–20 min): journal, score discipline, tag errors, and write one tweak for tomorrow.
Tools & workspace (friction-free execution)
She keeps the desk clean and the charts simple. If it doesn’t help make a decision, it’s gone.
- One HTF pane (D1/H4/H1) and one LTF pane (M15/M5) with minimal indicators (levels, ATR/ADR, and a clean trigger view).
- Pre-set alerts at areas of interest so you aren’t glued to screens.
- Use a printed checklist beside the keyboard; no order without all boxes ticked.
- Close the platform after the post-market routine to protect boundaries.
Size Risk First: Fixed R, Daily Caps, Weekly Circuit Breakers
Adam Scarr and Gerald Tsu both hammer the same point: risk is a preset number, not a feeling. Define a fixed R per trade—say 0.25% to 0.5% of equity—and size every position from the stop, never the other way around. Scruffy Trader backs that with a simple promise to his account: two losses do not become three because a cap cuts the day. Kaci Jackson adds a practical twist—reduce size after a wobble and re-earn full size with one clean A-setup.
Daily caps keep the damage boring; weekly circuit breakers protect psychology when variance clusters. Adam Scarr shuts the platform the moment the daily R-limit is hit, while Gerald Tsu treats a weekly drawdown line as sacred and switches to review mode. Scruffy Trader keeps adding for confirmed continuation only, so total risk never creeps beyond 1R. Kaci Jackson tracks adherence as tightly as P&L, because a broken rule is a bigger loss than any stopped trade.
Trade What Moves: Volatility-Based Allocation And Session-Specific Position Sizing
Adam Scarr builds size around current volatility, not a fixed lot habit—higher ATR means smaller position, tighter markets allow a touch more. Scruffy Trader ties risk to the session he’s trading, taking his A-setup at London or New York opens with pre-set caps so he isn’t oversized during the whip. Gerald Tsu checks the average daily range before placing a ticket, making sure a normal swing won’t knock him out or overexpose his account. Kaci Jackson scales down when volatility spikes around news, proving that “pass is a position” when the tape is chaotic.
Session matters as much as the chart. Adam Scarr won’t carry New York-sized risk into the slower lunch hours, and Gerald Tsu only “earns” a bigger size after the day establishes direction. Scruffy Trader prefers one high-quality push per session and sizes it according to how far the market typically runs before pulling back. Kaci Jackson combines these rules with alerts at key levels so entries happen where volatility is likely to pay, not where boredom forces a click.
Diversify Smartly: Underlying, Strategy, And Duration To Smooth Equity
Adam Scarr spreads risk across a few uncorrelated instruments so a bad day in one doesn’t sink the week, pairing a main FX pair with an index future when conditions warrant. Scruffy Trader mixes a trend-pullback setup with a breakout-retest, so when the market ranges, he isn’t stuck waiting for a trend that never comes. Gerald Tsu diversifies by holding time as well—he’ll keep an intraday core and a small swing runner when structure supports it, letting different time horizons do the heavy lifting. Kaci Jackson avoids overlapping bets; if two markets are moving on the same driver, she treats them as one risk and sizes accordingly.
Across the board, diversification is intentional, not scattershot. Adam Scarr caps total exposure per theme, keeping correlated positions inside a single 1R budget. Scruffy Trader rotates focus when volatility migrates, shifting allocation toward the instrument with the cleanest range expansion that session. Gerald Tsu and Kaci Jackson both prune the playbook quarterly, demoting any setup or market that drags expectancy so the portfolio of underlyings, strategies, and durations stays sharp.
Mechanics Over Predictions: Two A-Setups, Clear Triggers, Zero FOMO
Adam Scarr treats the chart like a checklist: if the bias, level, and trigger aren’t all present, there is no trade. Scruffy Trader keeps only two A-setups—trend pullback and breakout–retest—and grades them the same way every day, so decision-making is fast and unemotional. Gerald Tsu waits for a candle close or micro-structure break before clicking, proving that confirmation beats guessing tops and bottoms. Kaci Jackson adds a rule that kills FOMO: if the setup triggers without her, she simply logs it and waits for the next plan-compliant opportunity.
Mechanics also dictate where the risk lives and how the trade is managed. Adam Scarr places stops behind clear invalidation and sizes from that distance, never from a hunch. Gerald Tsu moves stops only when new structure forms, while Scruffy Trader avoids mid-candle tinkering so the plan—not the P&L—drives actions. Kaci Jackson caps attempts to two per idea per session, because strict repetition of rules, not predictions, is what compounds over months.
Respect The Process: Pre-Plan, Execute Checklist, Journal, And Review
Adam Scarr starts the night before, turning levels and scenarios into a written if–then plan so execution becomes muscle memory. Scruffy Trader shows up with a printed checklist and refuses to click until each box is ticked—bias, level, trigger, risk, and news filter. Gerald Tsu keeps P&L hidden during the trade so the chart—not emotions—decides actions. Kaci Jackson adds a two-minute reset after any loss, making sure the next decision is made by process, not payback.
After the bell, the real edge compounds in the journal. Adam Scarr screenshots before/after and tags each trade by setup quality to see if A-setups actually got A-sized risk. Gerald Tsu writes a one-page weekly debrief—one thing to stop, one to start, one to continue—so improvements are small and sticky. Scruffy Trader audits rule breaks more harshly than losing trades, because discipline slippage predicts drawdowns. Kaci Jackson promotes or benches setups quarterly based on expectancy, proving that reviewing the process is what upgrades the results.
In the end, the four voices line up on one non-negotiable: risk comes first and stays first. Adam Scarr, Scruffy Trader, Gerald Tsu, and Kaci Jackson all size from the stop, not from hope, then build hard circuit breakers—daily caps that end the session and weekly limits that force review. Volatility and timing decide how big they go; higher ATR or news risk means smaller size or no trade, while a clean session drives their attention. They keep stops behind structure and let winners prove themselves before any scaling, turning randomness into a controlled series of small losses and occasional, meaningful gains. The lesson is simple but costly to ignore: protect the account, and the account will fund your learning curve.
On execution, these traders worship mechanics over predictions. Adam Scarr and Scruffy Trader limit themselves to two A-setups with clear triggers, so “almost” never becomes a trade. Gerald Tsu waits for confirmation—candle closes or micro-structure breaks—so price action, not opinion, pulls the trigger. Kaci Jackson adds behavioral guardrails: printed checklists, hidden P&L, and a two-minute reset after losses so the next decision isn’t revenge. Across the board, management is structural—trail behind new swings, take partials into HTF levels, and stop moving stops without fresh information. You don’t need ten strategies; you need two that you can execute the same way on a Monday as on a Friday.
Breadth is intentional, not scattershot. Adam Scarr diversifies across a small set of uncorrelated instruments, while Gerald Tsu diversifies by duration—intraday core with the occasional swing runner when structure supports it. Scruffy Trader rotates focus to wherever range expansion is cleanest that session, and Kaci Jackson treats highly correlated markets as one risk bucket. All four prune their playbooks regularly—if a setup underperforms for the current regime, it gets benched—so the portfolio of underlyings, strategies, and time horizons stays sharp. The message: diversify to smooth the equity curve, not to feed FOMO.
Finally, process compounds. Each trader ties the day together with pre-plans, alerts, and short, honest journals that score discipline as ruthlessly as P&L. Adam Scarr’s “done for the day” rule after hitting the cap, Scruffy Trader’s one-page routine, Gerald Tsu’s weekly debrief, and Kaci Jackson’s quarterly promote/bench cycle all point to the same truth: your rules are your edge. If you want funded consistency, build a routine you can repeat under stress, keep your risk math boring, and let the stats—not your mood—decide what stays in the playbook.
